Spells That Backfire & Wonky Magick

“What I’ve discovered,” the High Priestess says, leaning in close to me, “is that doing magick for others re- quires total unconditional love for them. Don’t you agree?”

I do. There are precious few people I’ve done magick for and who have asked me to do it for them, and it’s always been at a price to me personally, but one I was willing to pay to keep the balance. But in every case, I loved and accepted them as they were and I knew I was to put forth the intentions and effort on their behalf because I felt that sense of universal oneness with them that so many spiritual people aspire to.

“And,” the High Priestess adds, “I’ve also discovered that when you do magick to control someone else’s will or to make things turn out like you want them when it’s clearly not what they want, that things go all wonky.”

Okay, so wonky isn’t a magickal term like widdershins or deosil or athame.

“What you mean?” I ask. She’s been very clear that she’s not talking about anything that I’ve done but rather, the discussion centers on how it is that the Gods can allow certain magickal people to manifest things against other magickal people. It’s been on my mind for a while, and the Gods are using her to answer my questions.

“In a nutshell,” the High Priestess says, “spells back- fire. Not always in an obvious way.

But the intent is deflected and it boomerangs back on the spellcaster, giving the spellcaster a taste of their own medicine.”

I know all about what you send out coming back to you, but I’m not quite sure I understand what she’s saying. So she gives the following real-life example, I kid you not. I was shocked to her this from her.

Her sister became involved with a man that she, the High Priestess, didn’t like. Basically, she didn’t think he was good enough for her baby sister so she worked magick like crazy to make her sister forget about this guy and to move on. The younger woman did forget and did move on —from her big sister!

“I realized,” the High Priestess says, “that all my spells regarding him were backfiring. They were working and very potent, and I really think that my magick was keeping the two lovers apart but it was also keeping me apart from my sister. Everything I wanted to keep from happening between them was mirrored in my relationship with my sister and I almost lost her over it. So I changed my strategy.” She looks up at me, a little sheepish. “I started doing spells that her eyes would be opened and that she would see this guy for what he was.”

I laugh. “And that was?”

She shakes her head. “You’re not going to believe this but he’s a great guy! He is fantastic. He’s not the guy I would have picked for her but he’s a great guy and he’s exactly what she needed and exactly what she wanted and they’re wonderful to each other.”

She pauses to show me a picture of their wedding, with her standing by the bride’s side.

“I wanted her eyes to be opened so she would see what this man was, this man I didn’t like, who I didn’t think was good enough for my sister, and instead what happened was, not only were her eyes opened but so were mine. I just can’t believe what an incredible person he is. They’ve been together for several years now and they have kids together and they’re still head over heels in love with each other.” She shakes her head. “And I can’t believe that I actively did things that would have robbed her of this happiness. It was a long road for her to get together with this guy and I made it even longer. But now I adore him almost as much as she does.”

I’m surprised at her confession. She’s one of the most ethical people I know, so I ask her why she would do something like this when it goes against our training.

She shrugs. “I was playing God.” She laughs. “Or maybe playing Goddess. I thought I knew better than her what was best for her.”

I give her a hug and head back to my office, but what I’d really like to do right now is it light a little candle of gratitude for hearing her opinions on why the Gods sometimes allow manipulative magick.